smith



Dec. 26, 1922. 1,439,717

W. J. SMITH. CAR HEATER.

FILED MAY 8 I920. 3 SHEETS'SHEET 1 lNVENTOR WTORNEY Dec. 26, 1922.

W. J. SMITH CAR HEATER 3 SHEETS-5HEET 2.

F u-:0 MAY 8. I920 MJ QSM, 491M INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 26, 1922.

W. J. SMITH.

CAR HEATER. FILED MAY 8.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 I INVENTO W'WTTORNEY Patented Dec. 26, 1922.

WILLIAM JUDSON SMITH,

0F PAUL, DIINNESOTA.

CAR HEATER.

Application filed May 8,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM Jonson SMITH, a citizen oi the United States, residing at St. Paul in the county of Ramsey and State of lvlinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Heaters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to heating devices, and with respect to some of its more specific features to hot air heating devices for railway vehicles.

One object is to provide an improved heating system of the class mentioned which is simple in construction and economical in first and operating costs, and which is easily installed on completely constructed cars, either old or new.

Another object is to provide an improved hot air heating system for railway vehicles, and for other purposes, in which a particularly eflicient circulation of the hot and cold air in the. system is ei'l'ected.

Another object is to provide an improved heating system oi the character mentioned in which practically the entire circulation of the air takes place within the compare ment to be heated the cold. air ing taken into the heating system at points near the bottom of the compartment and the hot air discharged at points nearer the top thereof.

Another object is to provide an improved heating; system which utilizes a very high percentage oi? the heat produced by the combustion of the fuel used.

ther objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the iieatures of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will he exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will he indicated in the following claims.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car embodying the invention, the side of the car being removed and certain parts shown in section more clearly to disclose the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken above 1920. Serial No. 379,729.

the floor line of the car and showing; a plan view or the invention applied thereto, portions oi the car floor being broken away to more. clearly disclose details of the invention. l. 1g. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow.

llig. i is a transverse vertical section taken approximately on line t t' -tl: of 2 looking; in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 5 is section through the car floor frame construction taken appro 'nately on line 5-- 5 oi Fig. 9, and show in" a transverse vertical section through the heater.

Fig.6 is a i rao'mentary transverse vertical section throi 1 the car taken immediately at the left of the heater, as shown in Fig. 52, and showing the latter in side elevation. i

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the heater.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of the hot air pi leading "from the end of the heater remote rrom the fire box.

The invention is shown in the drawing as .emhoc l .in a passenger car oi the type usually employed on street railway lines. it is obvious, however, that it may be advan- 1 eously employed in connection with eight cars or with other types of cars. It is particul rly advantageous when employed in conne on with fruit or vegetable cars, and with retrioge 'ator cars when the same are used in cold weather "for the shipment oi perishable goods, such trait, eggs and the like. In this connection it noted that the feature particularly desirable is a'heating system which will heat the space adjacent the floor line of the car to a temperature which is suitable to protect the hiding without at the same time raisingthe temperature too high at other parts of the car. The construction herein disclosed is particularly adapted to accomplish this function, as will be obviousas the detailed description proceeds.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment shown in the drawing, the car body is indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The car is provided with side girders 2 having upper and lower stress members 3 and 4 shownin the form of angle bars having a vertical girder plate Sriveted to the vertically disposed flanges or" the angle bars.

PSI

'lransverse underitrame members shown as channel bars 7 are secured to the side girder members in any ap n'oved manner, and preferably extend from side to side oi? the car. The floor 8 oil? the car may rest on the tensverse floor frame members 7 or may be otherwise suitably supported inposition thereabove.

Disposed beneath the floor of the car and extending transversely thereof between two adjacent transverse floor frame members 7 is a stove or heater This 'heater may be suitably supported from the adjacent floor frame members '7 as by supporting straps 10 of ii at iron stock secured at their ends to said frame members 7 and extending under the stove to support the same in position. The floor may be of any approved construction and extending therebeneath over the heater a sheet 11 of heat insulating, heat resisting material, the purpose of which is to form a protection for the floor and the heater.

Thehea-ter may be constructed of any suitable material, but is preferably made of sheet iron which may be covered on the exterior with suitable insulating heat resisting material 12. This insulating material may be magnesia or asbestos and is designed to eep the heat radiated from the heater down to a minimum. A layer of muslin tape 13 may be placed over the insulating material as shown in Fig. 5 of the t'lraw-ing. Near one side of the car and disposed at one end of the heater is the fire box or combustion chamber 14. This fire box is suitably'fitted with movable grate bars. ash-pit,fash retaining slide and other fire box elements. as the fire box construction-and the elements in connection therewith are not claimed herein, a detailed description of the same is considered unnecessary. The front of the fire box is supplied with a suitable door 16' hinged at its lower edge and adapted to cover an opening leading to the tire box through which coal or fuel may be inserted. The the box is disposed in a hot air chamber 15 lying between the fire box and the external. walls of the heater. Lying within the extended portion of the hot air chamber and extending from the fire boxnearly to the opposite end oi. the heater is smoke-pipe 18. This smoke-pipe forms flue which is looped upon itself near the end of the hot airchamher as shown at 19 having a return portion 20 extend ng backwardly to a point near the firebox where it emerges from. the hot air chamber as shown In the embodiment illustrated the looping oi? the smoke fine is accomplished by means of a longitudinal dividing plate secured in position in the center-of the pipe as shown in Fig. 5 and fully described below. This looped construction in the smoke-pi e provides alarge radiatin sur' fa e in t hot air chamber. hreug'li radiating surface the heat contained in the gases of combustion passing through the smoke-pipe .is transmitted to the air in the hot air chamber and thus the heat contained in said gases is effectively and efficiently 22 is secured. in central position in the large flue found by bending the sheet metal plate. This dividing plate has flanged edges for securing same to the sheet metal walls, and

extends from the fire box nearly to the opposite end of. the flue, but terminates a short distance from the end thereof so as to leave an opening as shown between the two branches of the flue. Both branches are supported in position in the hot air chamber by suitable flanged plates 24- secured to the inner walls of the hot air chamber.

From the emerging portion 21, above referred to, the smoke-pipe extends laterally and. upwardly through the car floor and runs horizontally closely above the floor of the car as shown at 25 to a point near the end of the car where it passes into a vertical drum 26 turning 'up'wardl'y therein and passing through the root oi" the car as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawing. At the point where the smoke-pipe passes through the floor oi the car a suitable aperture is provided, and this aperture may be supplied with a ring or lining of heat resisting material 25', which may be constructed of magnesia or any other suitable material. Apertures 27 may be formed near the base of the drum 26 in order that air may be taken into the drum and a draft created as the air therein is heated by the su'io'ke-pipe. It will thus be seen that the horizontally disposed portions of the smokepipe extends within the car compartment at short distance above the floor thereof, and that the vertical portion o'l said pipe also extends through the car compartment. The smohepipe thus acts as a radiator to radiate the heat contained. in the gases of combustion and heat the interior of the near the floor line. while the ve1*'ti...ll,; disposed portion of the pipe causes a current of hot air to be discharged from the drum 2-6 at a point remote from the floor line.

Air taken into the hot air chamber of the heater through intake or cold air pipes a e sp g 9 h ses-r ay be p tected in any suitable manner, preferably by caps oil an expanded metal mesh, not shown in the drawing.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing there are three hot air pipes extending from thc hot air chamber to the interior of the car, so to discharge the hot air at points remote from the floor and near the corners of the car. These hot air pipes as shown in the drawing also extend for a considerable distance longitudinally of the car and horizontally a short distance above the floor line thereof; by this disposition of the hot air pipes a very large radiating surface disposed close to the floor line is provided. One of these pipes as 29 extends from an outlet 30 at the upper portion of the hot air chamber near the fire box proceeding upwardly through a suitable aperture in the car floor and extending horizontally along the side of the car near the floor to a point near one corner of the car where it turns upwardly to a vertical portion 31 terminating at a point remote from the car floor in the upper part of the car compartment. The other hot air pipes 32 and extend through an outlet 84 leading from the hot air chamber. This outlet is located at the end of the hot air chamber remote from the fire box and the pipes 32 and 33 are connected thereto and extend upwardly through the car floor into the car compartment. The adjacent ends of the pipes 32 and may be made in the form of. an integral unit as shown in Fig. 8 having a dividing partition 32 for dividing the opening in the pipe 32 from that in pipe 33. This integral unit is fitted with an angularly disposed portion 34; which is adapted to telescope with the outlet 3 L. Both of these pipes extend horizontally above the floor near the car side and terminate in vertical portions 35 and 36 at opposite corners longitudinally of the car, so as to discharge the hot air at points remote from the fl.oor,.as described above iii-connection with the hot air pipe 29.

The arrangement of the smoke pipe and hot air pipes within the car compartment close to the floor thereof as above set forth provides a great radiating surface radiating); heat low down in the ear compartment. This arrangement effectively heats the lower poi tion of the compartment Without unduly raising the temperature of the upper portion thereof On account of the great radiating: surface a l are percentage of the heat of the hot air or gases is conducted through the walls of the pipes and. radiated from the surlfaces thereof before the air is discharged from the open ends of the pipes. As shown in 3 the hot air pipes may he supported,

and insulating material. A box 38 for fuel having doors 39 may be conveniently mount- 0C7 pipe 25 and an expanded metal mesh placed below the front edge of the seat. By th s construction the hot air is directed towards the front oi? the suit and is prevented from passing directly upwardly through the seat bottom.

in the construction provided by this in vention the heat circulation takes place wholly within the car, the heater, and pipes passing, therebetwcen, and the entire vol ume of air within. the car is thus reheated at comparatively short intervals of time' Actual tests made on installations of this type of heating; system by measuring the velocity 01%? air in the return or cold air pipes, have shown that the amount of air be lg reheated every hour is equal to three times the cubical contents of the car.

will be further noted that the construc" tion herein provided accomplishes an eihcient heating ot the car and maintains comparatircly uniform temperature throughout the car compartment. Also a particular-y m 'antageous teature resides in this couration, as all nmving parts I-Slltfill as tans m other c rculating means, are entirely avoided, There is no possibility of freezing and consequent d amaging the pipes and connections as is the case Where hot water or steam heaters are employed, On account of the simple nature of this heating system, it is easily and cheaply installed on cars of standard. design, either when the car is being built, or on old cars.

The description of the operation ot this invent u is 'ully cn'ibodied in the above detailed .(ll:l(:l.()tfl]i70, and no reiter :ion is i\( lioved to be necessary to a clear understand ing thereoi by any one skilled in the art.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and ma apparently widely different einl'iodiments of: this invention could be made without departing from the pe thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be i l lustr-ative and. not in a it is also to he understood that the language used in, the following claims is intend ed to cover all ot the generic and specific features oi the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matt r of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

it. In a car heating system, in combination, car conmartment, a heater disposed transversely oi the car intermediate the ends thereof and below the floor of said compart' ment, said heater having a fire box dis posed adjacent to one side of the car, and a hot air chamber extending laterally there from toward the opposite side of the car, hot air ducts connected to said heater at opposite ends thereol? and positioned to conduct hot air from said hot air chamber and to discharge it near opposite ends o1 the car compartment in the upper portion thereof, cold air ducts extending from said heater and communicating with said hot air chamber in thevicinity of said fire box, and also communicating with the interior of said compartment near the floor thereof for receiving air from said compartment and conduct ing it to the hot air chamber, and a smoke pipe extending from said fire box into said compartment and being in position to radiate heat therein remote from the receiving ends of said cold air ducts and from the points of discharge of said hot air ducts, whereby distribution of heat at opposite ends of the car is equalized.

2. In a car heating system, in combination, a car compartment, a heater disposed transversely of the car intermediate the ends thereof and below the floor of said compartment, said heater having a fire box disposed adjacent to one side of the car and a hot air chamber extending laterally therefrom toward the opposite side of the car, hot air ducts connected to said heater at opposite ends thereof and being positioned to conduct hot air from said hot air chamber and to discharge it near opposite ends of the car compartment in the upper portion thereof, cold air ducts extending from said heater and communicating with said hot air chamber inthe vicinity of said fire box, and also communicating *ith the interior of said compartment near the floor thereof for receiving air from said compartment and conducting it to the hot air chamber, and a smoke pipe connected to said fire box and having a divided section disposed in said hot air chamber for conducting'the hot gases of combustion in reverse directions therein for providing large radiating surface, said smoke pipe also extending from said heater into the car compartment, and being disposed to radiate heat therein at a part spaced from the points of discharge of said hot air ducts so as to equalize the distribution of heat at opposite ends of the car compart ment.

3. In a car heating system, in combination, a car compartment, a heater disposed transversely of the car intermediate the ends thereof and below the fioor of said compartment, said heater having a fire box disposed adjacent to one side of the car and a hot air chamber extending laterally therefrom toward the opposite side of the car, hot air ducts connected to said heater at opposite ends thereof and being positioned to conduct hot air from said hot air chamber and to discharge it near opposite ends of the car compartment in the upper vportion thereof, andvcold air ducts extending from said heater and communicating with said hot air chamber in the vicinity of said fire box, and also communicating with the interior of said compartment near the floor thereof for conducting the air from said compartment to the hot air chamber.

4:. In a car heating system, in combination, a car compartment, a heater disposed transversely of the car and below the floor of said compartment said heater having ter- Ininal portions lying adjacent opposite sides of the car and including a fire box adjacent to one side of. the car and a hot air chamber extending laterally therefrom across the car, hot air ducts extending from opposite ends of said heater and being disposed at opposite sides of the car for conducting hot air to one end of the car compartment and for discharging it in the upper region thereof, and a hot air duct and a smoke pipe extendmg. respectively from opposite ends of said heater and extending along opposite sides of the car for distributing heat at the opposite end of said car compartment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J UDSON SMITH.

Witnesses:

M. F. ERNST, E. N. I'IoLsToNn, 

